We’ve all been told to
avoid gatherings with a gross population above one. So working at home is
a good alternative to such things as not working at all. (I may re-think that.)
In the event you are one
of those confined to your house, apartment or cell here are some tips.
First, you must isolate
yourself from housemates, spouses, children, random strangers, police without
warrants.
Second, turn off the TV
set. Off. Not down, off. Sean Hannity, Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper
can live without you for the time being.
Third, keep regular
hours. Make your own shift if you can, and stick to what you made.
Fourth: Do not work in
your jammies. You don’t have to dress up.
But you should be at least in Business Casual. It changes your
attitude and keeps you focused.
Fifth: Carve out a
special time for the Honey-do list. Or ignore it as usual. But don’t honey-do on company time.
Now, you must be
properly equipped. Proper equipment includes but is not limited to:
--A computer or
keyboard-equipped tablet.
--A cellphone. And
keep it in the charger. You never know when Con Ed will start working
from home, leaving you without electricity.
--A coffeemaker and any
of the stuff you put into your coffee. And remember, it’s not Starbucks,
it’s your home office. So limit those
add ons to milk and sugar.
--A well equipped
bar. As Hemingway once said, write drunk, edit sober. Well equipped
does not necessarily mean overstocked. Just your regular stuff, the stuff you
wish you had in the office. And moderation until the end of your workday,
please.
--An ashtray. Yes,
if it’s your place and you smoke, you don’t have to hide under your building’s
awning or on the sidewalk in the snow and rain… at least for the duration of
your exile.
Do not mix home work
with homework. Do not pay your bills, catch up on your sleep, catch up on
your twitter feed, catch up on your portfolio performance or fix that damn
window that always sticks on company time, even if you do some of this while on
company property.
Do the things you know
you should be doing at the office:
--moderate stretching or
exercise.
--gossip.
--lunch.
Some do’s and don’ts:
DON’T
--throw out the trash at
the end of the day. You probably dropped something into it by rote, can’t
find it now; will find it later in the wastebasket.
--let your desk get into
the shape of the one in the picture up top.
--answer calls from
friends or relatives during business hours -- and remember, YOU’VE set your
hours.
--Put in unpaid
overtime. You’ll be surprised at how much more efficient and organized you’ve
become now that you don’t have the distractions of office life.
--Watch your mouth. You
can use the foulest language you know as long as there’s no one else to hear
it.
DO
--Take calls from your
boss.
--Take calls from
coworkers whose work depends on you or whose work you depend on.
--Keep the TV you turned
off, off. (Ok, you may watch “Andrea Mitchell Reports” at noon if that’s when
you have lunch.)
--Keep a log.
Eventually, you’ll have to return to the office. Expect questions about what
you had done at home. Have answers ready. Showing or reading the log will beat
sitting in the boss’ office, squirming, red-faced and starting your report
by saying “Uh, um, well I…”
Some people will find
this a pleasant change. Some will find it frustrating. But it may help
you not get sick by breathing the same air you’re forced to on the train or
subway or bus or taxi. Or at the office.
I’m Wes Richards. My
opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®
Any questions?
Send ‘em to wesrichards@gmail.com
© WJR 2020
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